Kid Brooklyn: Local Superhero Kid Creates a New Comic Series

Kid Brooklyn: Local Superhero Kid Creates a New Comic Series

Kid Brooklyn is an exciting new comic series created and written by Jaden Anthony, a 12-year-old from Brooklyn, New York, and his father, Joseph. The first issue (Genesis) debuted at New York Comic-Con this past weekend. In Jaden’s graphic novel, the heroes are real-world kids, featuring Jaden himself, along with friends Kasper, Halina, Edward, and Wallace.

Kid Brooklyn was envisioned as a comic with a cause, focusing on today’s environmental and social issues. Other goals of the project are to help emphasize STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education, as well as to show that kids are capable of changing the world. The book was initially set up through Kickstarter, and this was Jaden and Joseph’s first time using that platform. The project was successfully funded, and the first issue is now available.

The comic starts out by introducing the main characters and their opposition. While Jaden deals with bullies at school, a dangerous alien menaces the entire planet and plans to conquer Earth by destroying its natural resources. In an effort to head off this danger, another group of aliens seek out Jaden and his friends, bringing them Sun Stones that give them powers to fight off the threat.

I had a chance to interview Jaden and Joseph at New York Comic-Con, and they told me more about the creation of their comic. I was curious about whether Jaden was inspired to start his project by a particular event, or if it was more of a general desire to work toward change. He stated that he had an overall inspiration to show how kids could make a difference, although the Flint water crisis was a particular inspiration that can be seen in the first issue. He plans to use other current events as a focus in upcoming stories. Jaden’s school is known for its STEM curriculum, and his favorite subject (right now) is computer science, although he says that the teachers are also an important factor on what he finds most interesting.

Kid Brooklyn’s companions in the comic are some of Jaden’s friends whom he has known since pre-school. Today, they go to different schools, but the project helps them keep in touch and gives them a good way to bond. One of the kids (Wallace) is a fictional creation, based on a young version of Notorious B.I.G., who was originally from Brooklyn. I wondered how they all felt about becoming comic heroes, and Jaden told me that they were happy and excited about it. He even hinted that each one of the will turn out to have superpowers based on some aspect of their personalities.

The process of putting the graphic novel together was a collaborative process between Jaden and his dad. They told me how they had a great time bonding through a mutual passion for comics and the issues brought up in the story. There were some minor disagreements in the course of the development, as far as subject matter and when to introduce certain aspects of the characters, but in the end, the project helped to build the father-son relationship.

The artwork in Kid Brooklyn was done by Crimzon studio, with additional illustrations by Dennis Calero. Jaden already has started putting his thoughts together for the second book. You can find out the latest updates and learn more about Kid Brooklyn at www.kidbrooklyncomics.com.